Part 51 (1/2)
”Yes, he's very heedless,” said the princess, addressing Sergey Ivanovitch. ”I've been meaning, indeed, to ask you to tell him that it's out of the question for her” (she indicated Kitty) ”to stay here; that she positively must come to Moscow. He talks of getting a doctor down...”
”Maman, he'll do everything; he has agreed to everything,” Kitty said, angry with her mother for appealing to Sergey Ivanovitch to judge in such a matter.
In the middle of their conversation they heard the snorting of horses and the sound of wheels on the gravel. Dolly had not time to get up to go and meet her husband, when from the window of the room below, where Grisha was having his lesson, Levin leaped out and helped Grisha out after him.
”It's Stiva!” Levin shouted from under the balcony. ”We've finished, Dolly, don't be afraid!” he added, and started running like a boy to meet the carriage.
”Is ea id, ejus, ejus, ejus!” shouted Grisha, skipping along the avenue.
”And some one else too! Papa, of course!” cried Levin, stopping at the entrance of the avenue. ”Kitty, don't come down the steep staircase, go round.”
But Levin had been mistaken in taking the person sitting in the carriage for the old prince. As he got nearer to the carriage he saw beside Stepan Arkadyevitch not the prince but a handsome, stout young man in a Scotch cap, with long ends of ribbon behind. This was Va.s.senka Veslovsky, a distant cousin of the Shtcherbatskys, a brilliant young gentleman in Petersburg and Moscow society. ”A capital fellow, and a keen sportsman,” as Stepan Arkadyevitch said, introducing him.
Not a whit abashed by the disappointment caused by his having come in place of the old prince, Veslovsky greeted Levin gaily, claiming acquaintance with him in the past, and s.n.a.t.c.hing up Grisha into the carriage, lifted him over the pointer that Stepan Arkadyevitch had brought with him.
Levin did not get into the carriage, but walked behind. He was rather vexed at the non-arrival of the old prince, whom he liked more and more the more he saw of him, and also at the arrival of this Va.s.senka Veslovsky, a quite uncongenial and superfluous person. He seemed to him still more uncongenial and superfluous when, on approaching the steps where the whole party, children and grown-up, were gathered together in much excitement, Levin saw Va.s.senka Veslovsky, with a particularly warm and gallant air, kissing Kitty's hand.
”Your wife arid I are cousins and very old friends,” said Va.s.senka Veslovsky, once more shaking Levin's hand with great warmth.
”Well, are there plenty of birds?” Stepan Arkadyevitch said to Levin, hardly leaving time for everyone to utter their greetings. ”We've come with the most savage intentions. Why, maman, they've not been in Moscow since! Look, Tanya, here's something for you! Get it, please, it's in the carriage, behind!” he talked in all directions. ”How pretty you've grown, Dolly,” he said to his wife, once more kissing her hand, holding it in one of his, and patting it with the other.
Levin, who a minute before had been in the happiest frame of mind, now looked darkly at everyone, and everything displeased him.
”Who was it he kissed yesterday with those lips?” he thought, looking at Stepan Arkadyevitch's tender demonstrations to his wife. He looked at Dolly, and he did not like her either.
”She doesn't believe in his love. So what is she so pleased about? Revolting!” thought Levin.
He looked at the princess, who had been so dear to him a minute before, and he did not like the manner in which she welcomed this Va.s.senka, with his ribbons, just as though she were in her own house.
Even Sergey Ivanovitch, who had come out too onto the steps, seemed to him unpleasant with the show of cordiality with which he met Stepan Arkadyevitch, though Levin knew that his brother neither liked nor respected Oblonsky.
And Varenka, even she seemed hateful, with her air sainte nitouche making the acquaintance of this gentleman, while all the while she was thinking of nothing but getting married.
And more hateful than anyone was Kitty for falling in with the tone of gaiety with which this gentleman regarded his visit in the country, as though it were a holiday for himself and everyone else. And, above all, unpleasant was that particular smile with which she responded to his smile.
Noisily talking, they all went into the house; but as soon as they were all seated, Levin turned and went out.
Kitty saw something was wrong with her husband. She tried to seize a moment to speak to him alone, but he made haste to get away from her, saying he was wanted at the counting-house. It was long since his own work on the estate had seemed to him so important as at that moment. ”It's all holiday for them,” he thought; ”but these are no holiday matters, they won't wait, and there's no living without them.”
Chapter 7.
Levin came back to the house only when they sent to summon him to supper. On the stairs were standing Kitty and Agafea Mihalovna, consulting about wines for supper.
”But why are you making all this fuss? Have what we usually do.”
”No, Stiva doesn't drink...Kostya, stop, what's the matter?” Kitty began, hurrying after him, but he strode ruthlessly away to the dining room without waiting for her, and at once joined in the lively general conversation which was being maintained there by Va.s.senka Veslovsky and Stepan Arkadyevitch.
”Well, what do you say, are we going shooting tomorrow?” said Stepan Arkadyevitch.
”Please, do let's go,” said Veslovsky, moving to another chair, where he sat down sideways, with one fat leg crossed under him.
”I shall be delighted, we will go. And have you had any shooting yet this year?” said Levin to Veslovsky, looking intently at his leg, but speaking with that forced amiability that Kitty knew so well in him, and that was so out of keeping with him. ”I can't answer for our finding grouse, but there are plenty of snipe. Only we ought to start early. You're not tired? Aren't you tired, Stiva?”
”Me tired? I've never been tired yet. Suppose we stay up all night. Let's go for a walk!”
”Yes, really, let's not go to bed at all! Capital!” Veslovsky chimed in.
”Oh, we all know you can do without sleep, and keep other people up too,” Dolly said to her husband, with that faint note of irony in her voice which she almost always had now with her husband. ”But to my thinking, it's time for bed now.... I'm going, I don't want supper.”
”No, do stay a little, Dolly,” said Stepan Arkadyevitch, going round to her side behind the table where they were having supper. ”I've so much still to tell you.”
”Nothing really, I suppose.”
”Do you know Veslovsky has been at Anna's, and he's going to them again? You know they're hardly fifty miles from you, and I too must certainly go over there. Veslovsky, come here!”
Va.s.senka crossed over to the ladies, and sat down beside Kitty.
”Ah, do tell me, please; you have stayed with her? How was she?” Darya Alexandrovna appealed to him.
Levin was left at the other end of the table, and though never pausing in his conversation with the princess and Varenka, he saw that there was an eager and mysterious conversation going on between Stepan Arkadyevitch, Dolly, Kitty, and Veslovsky. And that was not all. He saw on his wife's face an expression of real feeling as she gazed with fixed eyes on the handsome face of Va.s.senka, who was telling them something with great animation.
”It's exceedingly nice at their place,” Veslovsky was telling them about Vronsky and Anna. ”I can't, of course, take it upon myself to judge, but in their house you feel the real feeling of home.”
”What do they intend doing?”
”I believe they think of going to Moscow.”
”How jolly it would be for us all to go over to them together' When are you going there?” Stepan Arkadyevitch asked Va.s.senka.
”I'm spending July there.”
”Will you go?” Stepan Arkadyevitch said to his wife.
”I've been wanting to a long while; I shall certainly go,” said Dolly. ”I am sorry for her, and I know her. She's a splendid woman. I will go alone, when you go back, and then I shall be in no one's way. And it will be better indeed without you.”
”To be sure,” said Stepan Arkadyevitch. ”And you, Kitty?”
”I? Why should I go?” Kitty said, flus.h.i.+ng all over, and she glanced round at her husband.
”Do you know Anna Arkadyevna, then?” Veslovsky asked her. ”She's a very fascinating woman.”
”Yes,” she answered Veslovsky, crimsoning still more. She got up and walked across to her husband.